Where is the happy ending for VFX Artists?

In light of the latest news of artists going unpaid at New Breed I thought it would be a good idea to reblog this post. It’s about how we at IATSE 891 help protect the artists and technicians when a company defaults on payroll.http://vfx.iatse.com/online-repcard/

Reading about the Lumiere VFX artists going unpaid yet again, I found myself reflecting on how my union and the IATSE has dealt with delinquent employers, yes the movie business has many stories of unpaid bills! It brought to mind an experience with one such delinquent employer when I was the local’s business agent in 2004.

An independent production, they are always independents, (the Studio/AMPTP productions pay their bills), had rolled into town during a quieter period of activity and began prepping a “cops and robbers” movie, with box office actors attached. Everything was going smoothly.

Or so it seemed, until one Thursday afternoon after shooting had commenced, we started hearing from the crew that they had not received their paycheques. The Master Collective Agreement stipulates workers’ are to be paid weekly on Thursday and the paycheques are to ready and available by 4.00pm. Phone calls were made and assurances…